Sports shoes are increasingly of specialized designs wherein shoes are specifically designed for jogging, marathon racing and the like. Recently, cleats for attachment to shoes have been marketed for use with clipless pedals for competitive cycling. Two brands of clipless pedals have been introduced to the market. Both are quite similar and both are based on a design pioneered by Look, of Nebers, France. The clipless pedals are mounted directly on the crank of the bicycle and have fore and aft grooves which receive cleats that are permanently secured to the undersurfaces of the soles of the cyclist's shoes. The cleats positively engage the clipless pedals and are inserted and removed from the clipless pedals by a twisting action.
Multiple event competition such as the triathlon, Hawaiian Ironman, etc., is finding increasing popularity. Unfortunately, these events have, heretofore, required the competitors to change footwear as there is no universally adaptable footwear for both running and cycling activities. The recently developed cleat and clipless pedal system is not compatible with a running shoe.